No complaining here..

It's nearly time to go to bed. Elijah's been in bed for over an hour and a half. Yay! Britt and I could use this time to talk or whatever, but I'm doing homework (okay,so I'm really blogging now) and he is working on a project for work. It will really be time for sleep soon.
Elijah's school is doing the huge yard sale on Saturday. I've decided that it's stupid for me to feel paranoid and think that people percieve us as greedy and not really in need. I think that's how I feel about certain other families, and it's projecting on to my own situations. I don't think that people think of us like that because we've never given them reason to. I really am excited about the sale! I would be even if it weren't for our family. ha! I so wish I could come out and help, but I have to take a test on Saturday and will be gone from 8 to 1. The sale will be over by the time I am finished - but perhaps I can help "hem things up" when I am finished with class.
I am praying that this is the last crazy week for a while. It seems like so much going on with school and so much going on with work and then silly me signs up to work a lot of extra at the hospital. I need calgon! I actually need to move to a bigger house with a full size bathtub so I can enjoy some calgon.. Our bathtub isn't full sized. (really.. it's not my rear.. I promise.. it's the bathtub)
We are looking for a house. Going tomorrow to see a possibility. We want to know if they will lower the rent for a longer lease period. We shall see. Lovely house.. Perfect neighborhood. I'm praying. It doesn't have a fenced in backyard, but that can be easily fixed - or Bay can just go on a tether when he's outside. no worries.
I think I have decided to go ahead and apply for nursing school in the spring. What can it hurt, right? I either get in or I don't. That's the way I look at it. I need to at least try and stop being such a dang chicken. I can do the work.
Okay. signing off. I'm tired - and a bit manic, so I better go to bed.

Celebrity Gossip

I don't know why I continue to be so intrigued by celebrity gossip! It makes me crazy! I am now following the Real Housewives of New Jersey (all but Danielle because she's nasty and frankly sort of scares me). I follow a few others too. Pink (she's very funny)and I think i follow Justin Timberlake. I definitely follow The Pioneerwoman because I want to be like her. The rest of them, I don't understand what my fascination is!!! It's not like I think we can become friends or anything and I do NOT want what they have. Britt and I were talking earlier. I think Theresa from RHW drives a beautiful Escalade. You know what else has to ride in that car with her everywhere she goes? A little monster called "11 Million Dollars in Debt". No thanks. You can keep the big house, designer clothes, lovely parties and the big car.. I think I would be locked up in a mental institution if I had the stress of that much debt on my shoulders - so I wouldn't get to enjoy a bit of it anyway. Gads! It makes my ulcer flare up just to think about it!
I used to follow Kirstie Alley, but she tweets constantly and most of them are conversations that should be done over email, so I stopped following her.
I wish Britney Spears dad would get a hold of Lindsey Lohan and run her life for a few months. Maybe he could get her back on track the way he did Brit. I just really don't think Lindsey has hit bottom yet.. which is really scary.
This might sound strange, but I think mostly I like to follow what goes on with the celebrities because I feel sorry for them. I would never want the life that they have. Not their own, you know? Don't get me wrong.. I would love to be an actress - and be in a film or a play. (I used to do that when I was a kid.. not films but plays) I wouldn't want to be famous though. I'd rather just be happily mildly successful, respected, and financially sufficient. Does that make sense? I wish I could write a book. I wouldn't even know where to start though. How cool would that be? To be a well known author - people could just know your name and not really know your face. Awesome. Maybe I will do that. Any topics of interest for a new book? I'll just take requests.

Home Alone - but not really.

Britt is gone tonight. He's doing the second part of a sleep study. I've been after him for a while about having a sleep study done because he stops breathing when he sleeps. He is exhausted all the time and just feels run down. I think our poor eating and exercising habits have a large part to do with it, but I also think he has sleep apnea. I have to diagnose everybody - I think it's a sickness.
So I was just about right with my timeline of how long I thought we'd stay in the condo. The smallness of it has us all on edge. I say all of us, I don't think Elijah minds it one bit. It's not like he's a big "play out in the yard" kind of kid anyway. He has his computer, his directv, and a whole bunch of books and activities. He is happy. He doesn't care that he shares a room with his 17 year old sister. She's only home once a week and she sleeps on the top bunk. It doesn't bother him that we only have one bathroom because he usually gets first dibs when he needs it. He hates to take a bath so the bathroom is just a necessity for him.
If we were true minimalists and didn't have pets, condo living would be just fine. We just have too much crap. I know. I sound like a broken record.. whine.
I have started looking at houses to rent. I found one yesterday that I think I like, but they want to rent it right away. We don't plan on moving until mid October so that one was out of the question. Britt and I decided that if it was still there when we got ready to move, then maybe it was meant to be. If not, we're sure God has something perfect in mind for us. Thankfully the moving process will be much easier since the good majority of our stuff is in storage. What we have in the condo can be moved with one good u-haul load.
I wish I could just give away our couch and coffee table and get a new one. That's definitely not in the budget though.
Elijah's school is doing a huge yard sale as a fundraiser for our family to help pay for expenses related to Elijah's treatment. I was talking to a friend the other day about what all the basic expenses we incur just from one trip to Philadelphia. I think she was a bit shocked. We get help with mine and Elijah's plane tickets - which is awesome and we are so thankful for that. I don't know how we would make it without that assistance. Well, we couldn't truthfully. We'd probably have to move to Philadelphia. Anyway.. I digress. The little stuff really adds up. When you figure in just checking our bags, cab from the airport to the Ronald Mcdonald House and then back again, plus a few cab fares to the hospital, staying at Ronald McDonald house, (it's only $15 a night to stay at RMH in Philly and you get free dinner, so that really balances out) and airport parking, we are already looking at over $200. That's not figuring in any food at all. We really and truly try to budget our money on our trips as much as we can, but there's no way getting around some of the expenses. So.. what I am saying is that the fundraiser from Elijah's school is such a huge blessing.
We are truly blessed. We both have cars that run, a roof over our heads, and we both have jobs. Our kids never go without and we definitely don't go hungry. There are so many that can't say that. Hannah works really hard and honestly takes care of herself most of the time. Have you seen her lovely pageant and prom gowns?? She worked at the formal gown store and paid for those herself. We have amazing family and friends that support us and always make sure that we have what we need. We have our trials, but honestly, Elijah is the one who faces the most challenges. I whine and complain and bitch - but Elijah lives with the pain, the insecurity and the fear every day. He is the one who deals with all of this with the strength of a superhero. God gives him his strength and helps carry us. Honestly.
Okay.. I'm tired. I still have to give Elijah his shot and do tons of reading for American Literature. (It really seems like a history class. I'm not enjoying it)

Well, YUCK

got the word today from my physical. My cholesterol is good but my triglycerides are high. Dr. F recommends Milk Thistle for that. I am vitamin D deficient - so I get to take a vitamin D supplement. Nice.. And here is the fun stuff. I am pre-diabetic. (and now for the collective, "duh") I need to try and lose some weight and get some exercise and then go back to see Dr. F in 4 months to check my sugar again. I read today that a vitamin d def. can affect your blood sugar. Mine is probably just from eating crap and not getting enough exercise. That and lovelies like chocolate pudding cake and homemade blackberry ice cream. It's all Britt's fault!!!! ha.. just kidding. Scary stuff. How much more do I need to try and scare me in to getting my life together? ugh.
I'm getting a lot done at work this week. It feels good to be sort of getting caught up with stuff. I just need to keep up the momentum. I have cooked dinner four nights in a row now.. wow. It's getting better..I'm getting the house cleaner.. Praying the laundry fairy shows herself soon though.

Sales ... & stuff

So I am thinking about going in to some sort of sales, but I'm not sure what. I don't like selling things where I have to beg people to buy what I have for sale. I hated selling radio. I don't want to do any kind of home party sales thing. Too much work and not enough money.(also adds tons of "stuff" to my already junk filled life) Plus I am not organized enough to keep that stuff separate from my personal stuff and I don't want to handle money any more than I already do at the church. Money stresses me out. ha! I want to do something that would allow me to work very part time and have much flexibility but something that I could actually enjoy and make a bit of money at. I'm not talking about instant wealth (although that would be nice). So, what could I sell that is something people need and want, something that I won't have to push on people, and something that I could make a bit of decent money at? Suggestions? When I say a bit of decent money - I make very little right now - so adding 10K or so to our annual income would be a great big help. Real Estate? Insurance? (can you sell insurance part time?) Do you HAVE to have a nice car to succeed in sales? I would definitely have to have a redo on my appearance. I don't think frumpy housewife who doesn't like to wear makeup would fly. ha! We have to be able to increase our income in order to get ahead and start saving. yuck. conflicted.

Why didn't this post yesterday when I wrote it??

It's Friday night, nearly 12:30 in the morning. 15 years ago this would be just about the time I was getting started. Now I am just tired and wondering why I didn't go to bed an hour ago. I'm still a night owl and probably always will be. I guess I got that from my Mom. Elijah has inherited it from me but I think Hannah took after her dad. She goes to bed pretty early.
Condo life is starting to lose its shine. The condo that is directly behind ours is vacant and being remodeled. They don't start with the noise terribly early, but it's noise just the same. Loud power tools and music. I love music and normally don't mind it, but our houses are soundproof enough that the music just comes through the walls like muffled noise.
We have unpacked as much as we possibly can. We honestly don't have room for anything else. We have a storage unit that is packed to the gills and our little place is still lined with boxes. It's starting to get to me. How did I accumulate so much stuff?
I don't even want to get started on the animals. Duchess has thankfully found a new home. The cats and smallish dog are enough to make me nuts right now (not that I am far from it anyway!) I love the furries, I really do. I just don't like the fact that we are in such a small space they seem everywhere. We are used to being in small spaces - staying at the Ronald McDonald all the time. I just wish we could figure out what to do with all the "junk". AND I wish I could teach the cats how to use the toilet instead of a litter box. I hate the litter box.
Okay.. I have whined enough. On the plus side of things, I am loving being back in the area we live in. Elijah is enjoying the pool nearly every day - which is awesome. He's getting great exercise and building strength. We are also liking the break we are seeing from big utility bills. I think our electric bill was less than $100 last month. That's amazing to me. So.. we will stay in the little condo for a couple more months. I am already looking for the "perfect house" for our family. I think my obsession with looking so soon is making Britt nuts. I think we are going to try to move mid October. Not far and probably still not going to buy anything. Just a rent house preferably with a small yard, a few hundred more square feet, and a 3rd bedroom. Maybe we will luck out and find one with a state of the art kitchen.. ha! A girl can dream, right?

People you see in airports

I wish I had the nerve to take pictures of some of the wacky things we see while traveling. Mainly the outfits that people wear. Last week was one of my favorites. Lovely guy wearing board shorts and bright pink Crocs. I overheard him telling the man standing next to him in line that he was on his way to Chicago to teach a class on impulse buying. Seriously? I wanted to ask him if the pink Crocs were an impulse buy or if had planned to purchase them. I felt bad - because then I thought surely he would come up with some story like the Crocs had belonged to his late mother and it made him feel close to her to wear them when he travels - or something tragic along those lines. I let it go. I didn't take the picture and I didn't judge. Elijah got a big kick out of it though. Then (again in Chicago) getting ready to board our flight home we see a another nice young man (late teens - maybe??) wearing shorts that he looked like he borrowed from Hannah with a tight tee (also could have been from Hannah's closet) and BRIGHT RED SUSPENDERS!!! oh my.. It was too much for us to hold the giggle back from this one! Especially when we saw the big burly guy standing next to us looking at little pinnochio in sheer disbelief. It's not about homophobia - it's not about judging others who are different.. I walk around the airport with a bald kid - believe me when I tell you that I am sympathetic to those who are different. It's just about the humor of the clothing choice. I know what we wear should be about our personality and reflect who we really are, and that's fine. Really.. I had my days of dressing outlandishly and fully expected people to stare or point fingers. I think that's why I did it..
I wonder if anyone has pictures floating around of me and some of my crazy outfits.. someone other than my grandmother.